Riley and her five soldiers panned the campus in disbelief. They were living out the rapture in Lainwright Military Base after nearly a month of starvation and suffering. Happy soldiers were now cut out of stone, broken husks that only knew how to survive.
Yet, at Immortal Skye, hundreds of people casually chatted, grilled food, and splashed around a lake as if it were a summer holiday.
While people outside killed others for food, Immortals grilled a thousand pounds of perishable meats.
While people fought with others for water, they splashed around in thousands of gallons.
While people worked tirelessly to obtain basic security, they ran around with carefree expressions.
The Lieutenant Colonel turned to the emperor, standing before her in swim trunks and sandals, calm as a Hindu cow, with a vicious expression. "Is this really how your people are spending the day?"
"Is this [really]?" Kaze scoffed, turning his head away in disdain, "Yes, yes it is. As your offended face suggests, you are not blind, so don't act like it."
Riley's face heated up in anger, and her troops reacted. However, an icy breeze gently pushed past them, making them all shiver between the eerie shift and physical cold.
They looked at the blond, staring at them with a gentle, mocking smile that seemed to say, [oh, no, please continue. I was enjoying your amusing drama. I'm just warning you that I'll kill you if it stops being amusing].
"I can see fine." The redhead continued, "I'm commenting that your people are living like today is a summer holiday when it's the apocalypse. Am I wrong for finding that irresponsible?"
She glanced at General Michaels, who sheepishly looked at Evalyn, who was shockingly unsympathetic. The blonde didn't like the woman's insinuation that his [leadership] was irresponsible.
Kaze turned around and panned Immortal Skye dramatically and turned around, bobbing his head up and down with a deep frown. "My deepest apologies, Lieutenant Colonel; I fail to see how their actions are irresponsible."
Riley's eyes filled with irritation as she stared him down. "You have thousands of people who need fed, clothed, and housed during a time of great scarcity and danger. Yet you think now is a time to have a swim day?"
The emperor scoffed, turning around again and panning the area quickly before turning back. "What exactly needs to be done to feed, clothe, house, and protect my people?"
Her mouth opened and closed at his words, afraid to fall victim to a trap. "It's just…."
"It's just what?" Kaze scoffed, "We have large reinforced walls, ample water, food, and sleep in mansions. You can see this, yes?"
"I…." Riley bit her lip, "Yes, I can see that."
"Now that I've confirmed you're not blind…." He laughed in disdain, making the soldiers grit their teeth, "Why must you decry my people and me as irresponsible when we've accomplished what you're implying you have not?"
"Enough of this." One of the soldiers said, "I won't—"
Whether the man was planning to attack or turn around was irrelevant. When he scoffed and moved, a small ice ball hit the man's bulletproof vest.
The man's heart pulsed, making his vision blur as the white ice ball expanded, growing like tree roots.
He hit his knees, clutching his chest, which made his hand tremble as the ice spread to his fingers.
"What's happening to him!?" Riley cried, looking at the man, "Randy!"
"His heart's slowing." Evalyn smiled sinisterly, "He won't die or leave with an injury, but he no longer has enough vigor to bark in a dragon's den."
Randy gasped a breath of relief when the freezing stopped, leaving only his half-frozen state before warmth returned to his world. He shivered on the ground.
The Lieutenant Colonel turned to her with a vicious expression. "We're negotiators, yes? Is this how you treat official guests?"
"Your government shot ballistic missiles at us three days ago due to the petty jealousy and envy you find benign." Evalyn replied coldly, "You're no guest, emissary, or negotiator.
You and your soldiers are here to give a status report and then profess your innocence or grovel for your lives."
One of the men panicked. "If we don't return to Lainwright, all of you—"
"Silence." Kaze said coldly, freezing the brown-haired soldier in place with vicious eyes. The soldier couldn't move his jaw and could barely breathe; it was a terrifying experience.
"I will remind you of your situation to prevent [lethal] banter." The emperor said coldly, "If anyone intentionally harms my people, we'll slaughter everyone in Lainwright Military Base without distinction. Not a single person will survive.
Not the so-called allies of our people or their enemies. So I suggest you accept my generous reminder of your situation before you're the first to face my wrath."
He lowered his hand, and the man fell to his hands and knees under crushing gravity, bowing forcefully.
The soldiers froze with fear, feeling anxiety wrap around their lungs like deathly roots, squeezing the air from them.
"Let's talk about what you're really complaining about to prevent this baseless animosity from hindering our talks." Kaze smiled sarcastically, "You're offended that while you suffer, we prosper, yes?
While you starve and live in fear, we live in opulent conditions, surrounded by high walls, and contain the weapons necessary for survival. Is that not the case?"
"Yes…." Riley swallowed painfully, feeling her dry throat crack against the action, "It's… offensive."
"Offensive, you say?" He asked with murderous sarcasm, "Must my people suffer to match yours? Should we not be grateful for our health and resources?"
"There's a difference between gratitude and waste…." The redhead gulped, feeling cold sweat drip down her shoulder blades, "You're wasting food—"
"Wasting?" Kaze scoffed, "Did you consider this situation before you let your emotions overcome your logic? Meat is perishable—it will spoil in a few days' time.
What should we do with the meat if not cook and eat it before it expires?"
The soldiers' expressions crumbled, and the emperor released the gravity on the man.
"Let me get two things out of the way." The emperor said coldly, "First, you are not to speak of what you're here to discuss outside closed doors with authorized people, even to each other."
The soldiers took sharp breaths, hearing his vicious gaze that warned of something greater than death.
"Second, you will not decry my people for their wealth." Kaze ordered coldly, "We have all lost and suffered. Your military attacked us three nights ago, killed friends, and injured countless."
He turned around to face the hundreds watching the scene play out. While they couldn't hear the emperor well, everyone was watching after he dropped the soldier to his knees.
"Yes, we have suffered!" The emperor announced boldly, tugging everyone's heartstrings, "However, the difference in our suffering reflects our superior capability to handle this situation!
As you can see, my people have done their tasks, trained their bodies and minds to become strong, and have stayed orderly!
If you don't think we deserve to enjoy the fruits of our labor, you're showcasing your devotion to incompetency!"
Hundreds of Immortals began cheering, picking up steam until many released war cries.
Kaze turned around to face the redhead and her soldiers. "While your government had near unlimited resources to condense and stockpile strategically, we did not.
Your government had labor potential far outstripping what we have. They had experience and organizational systems.
I'm eighteen, and only one mortal here is over 28. If you don't think that we [earned] our resources, even after maintaining them through your barbarity, you're destined for fruitless insanity!"
His people exploded in nationalistic fervor and cheering, making the soldiers panic in the murderous environment.
Evalyn wasn't joking when she said they were barking in a dragon den.
"Do not misinterpret our power as privileged wealth." The emperor said coldly, "We've earned our place in this world, and we'll do with it as we please."
"O-Okay…." Riley swallowed nervously, taking sharp breaths. The atmosphere went from tense to terrorizing, showcasing the power the swim-trunks-wearing teen had far exceeded his physical strength.
"Good, are you ready to discuss the situation at Lainwright?" Kaze asked mockingly.
"Y-Yes." The redhead said.
After she nodded, the emperor let the soldiers gain their bearings and then walked with them through the masses of people snickering or sneering at them.
They all hated Malta. That was even true of the ex-soldiers who devoted their lives to the country, only to get bombed and have their families lined up for slaughter.
"We were the good guys…." Randy whispered with anger and pain in his eyes.
"Shhhh!" Riley shushed the trembling man, gritting his teeth indignantly.
"You were." Evalyn said coolly, "That's why Kaze forced your mind-clouding bias from your mind before the meeting.
If you let your disdain for our wealth cloud your thinking, you'd do and say things that would get you killed.
I'm not saying you should feel fortunate for the treatment. However, you should reflect upon your mindsets twenty minutes ago and consider what these people would've done to you if you expressed them."
The soldiers shuddered, looking at the vicious gazes of the Immortals, each stronger than the six considered elites in Lainwright Military Base. It changed their perspective.
Riley and her troops passed the Rubicon and stepped into the dragon's layer, walking up the stairs to the conference room on the top.
Inside, they sat at the table, served pitchers of iced tea and ice-cold water by Marilyn, who gave them icy smiles before leaving the room.
"Now that we're in the right mind frame, I want a status report." Kaze demanded, "How many people have died, how many are injured, and what is their living situation?
I will not accept a single explanation of [how] people died, got injured, or ended up in a living situation, or how much you've claimed to help them until then."
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel